NHS asked to spend on maternity services rather than litigation

15th, August 2008

The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) is campaigning for the government to rethink its maternity policies.

The BTA is campaigning for more maternity funding and for government policy to focus less on promoting ‘normal’ births, because this could be putting mothers at risk. And in some cases failing to do a caesarean is leading to litigation.

The association is asking members of the public to join them in raising awareness of birth trauma on 16 August 2008, as part of Birth Trauma Awareness Day.

A BTA spokesperson said: “It is far from sensible that the NHS underfunds maternity services yet obstetric litigation – much of which stems from errors made by overstretched or under experienced staff – has the highest level of payouts of any specialism.

“We are currently campaigning to get the government to rethink its maternity policy more logically.

“At the moment government is focused on reducing caesareans and promoting ‘normal’ birth and in some cases it has swung too far. Failing to do a caesarean when it was clearly needed is a leading cause of litigation.

“Promoting ‘normal’ birth to women with enormous babies and then leaving them to endure years of double incontinence is inhumane and really raises issues of consent.”

In Maternity Matters the Department of Health stated: “High rates of interventions, such as large numbers of caesarean sections, could lead to worse outcomes for mothers and their babies, as well as being less cost effective for the NHS.”

Caesarian sections do carry risks in themselves and more than one in five UK births are by caesarean section well above the 10-15% rate recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive of the National Childbirth Trust stated: "Across the United Kingdom, caesarean section rates have risen at a rapid rate since 1980. The NCT lobbies to raise awareness of the causes and effects of rising caesarean rates and promotes the need for action to prevent unnecessary caesareans being carried out.

"When a woman’s needs during pregnancy are more complex because of a medical or an obstetric complication, a caesarean section may improve the outcome or even save the life of the mother or the baby.

"But when a woman’s pregnancy is normal and there are not medical complications there is good evidence that most women want to give birth themselves and that a vaginal birth is safer for the mother and the baby, promoting wellbeing and reducing risks in future pregnancies."

NHS asked to spend on maternity services rather than litigation

The Birth Trauma Association (BTA) is campaigning for the government to rethink its maternity policies.

Similar Articles